Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

 To separate the wheat from the chaff means to sort out the good from the bad. And this rare and unusual hand-carved wooden norag bench or seat is certainly a good thing indeed!  

This bench once sat on top of a base holding multiple round metal blades. 

Used for centuries in Egypt, a team of animals would pull the norag in circles over harvested wheat, barley, or other grain, separating the kernels from the outer husks. The driver sat in the seat or bench, guiding the team. Sometimes the seat was plain and utilitarian, but in many cases it was elaborately carved or decorated, demonstrating the importance of this tool to farmers.

The example in our trove is ornately carved on every side

The back of the bench has graceful Arabic calligraphy.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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Yearning for Yurman?

 If you have a yen for jewelry created by famed designer David Yurman, we have a collection of pieces by this maker currently in our trove, including this sterling silver and pave diamond ring.

The ring alternates diamond-set bands with twisted cable wire, the latter used in Yurman designs since 1982. In 1997, Yurman became the first major designer of fine jewelry to set diamonds in sterling silver jewelry with the introduction of the Silver Ice collection. This ring reflects both of these Yurman innovations.

Inside the ring is stamped with the David Yurman initials and "925," the assay mark for sterling silver.

The David Yurman Company was founded in 1980 by David Yurman and his wife, Sybil. Both partners had an extensive background in art. Among their many artistic endeavors, David made sculptures using direct welding, a technique developed by Picasso in which a torch is used to melt and shape bronze rods, while Sybil experimented with raku pottery. They traveled in artistic circles on both coasts, eventually meeting in New York City in 1969, where David had set up his sculpture studio. They became major figures in the American studio craft movement, which sought to elevate crafts to fine art through innovation and experimentation, and collaborated on designing wearable art. In 1971, Sybil wore a bronze necklace sculpted by David to a gallery opening, resulting in multiple orders for the piece. Subsequently, in 1973, the Yurmans founded Putnam Art Works, designing unique artisanal jewelry pieces. They married in 1979 and founded their company the following year.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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Unforgetable. . . .

They say an elephant never forgets. Well, this unusual and elegant elephant table is certainly memorable!

Of bronze, with a leather-covered base and a beveled glass top, this extraordinary end table is by Paul Maitland-Smith Ltd. and dates from the 1970s-80s.  Paul Maitland-Smith began his career as a London antiques dealer, specializing in rare and unusual finishings and decorative items. In 1979, he founded his eponymous company in Hong Kong, reproducing Chippendale chairs well as other 18th Century furniture and decorative accessories. His carefully curated creations, crafted by hand, often used unique or costly materials, such as brass, bronze, eggshell, lacquer, leather, mother-of-pearl, porcelain, stone, and wrought iron. Skilled artisans reproduced intricate designs in marquetry, inlay, reverse-painted glass, and gilding. In 1981, he opened a factory in the Philippines and was one of the first entrepreneurs to operate in Vietnam. Maitland-Smith valued his employees and artisans, paying them good salaries and providing on-site health centers and shower facilities at his manufacturing operations. In recognition of his contributions to interior design and the home furnishings industry, Maitland-Smith was a 2019 inductee into the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame. Maitland-Smith Ltd. still is renown for its high-end handcrafted furnishings incorporating exotic or whimsical elements inspired by antique and modern design and its vintage pieces are highly sought after by collectors and designers.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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You'll Be Bowled Over. . .

. . . by this massive bamboo magnum bowl, a collaboration between the famed French glassmaker Daum and international designer Emilio Robba. There were only 388 examples of the beautiful bowl ever made and we have one in our trove!

The bowl was made by a Daum, a crystal studio founded Nancy, France in 1878 and was created by an intricate process called pâte de verre (glass paste). Although this technique dates back to ancient Rome and Egypt, the process of pâte de verre was perfected in France during the art nouveau era of the early 1900s. Daum is currently the only crystal manufacturer still using this technique, which produces a luminous crystal sculpture with sharp details and soft gradations of color. The process requires multiple steps by skilled artisans. First, a sculpture is created and used to make a flexible mold. The mold is then filled with molten wax. After the wax hardens, it is removed from the mold and any imperfections are smoothed over. The wax is then encased in plaster. One the plaster is dry, it is heated and the melted wax is drained from the mold. This leaves a plaster mold, which is then cut open. After the plaster mold is cleaned of residue, an artisan, using "frit," a compound of finely ground crystal, carefully layers the different colors into the mold. The plaster mold is placed into a kiln and heated until the frit has melted. Once the plaster mold is removed from the kiln and allowed to cool, the plaster must be carefully broken away to reveal the sculpture. The remaining plaster is washed away and the crystal piece is polished, with details sometimes sharpened by hand with a special drill. Only after all these steps are complete and the piece passes a final inspection will it be signed "Daum France." This complex pâte de verre process means that every Daum sculpture is unique.

The piece is etched on the bottom "131/388," indicting that it is the 131st  of the limited 388 edition. It signed both the "Daum France" and "Emilio Robba."

Emilio Robba was born in Italy and studied at the prestigious Beaux-Arts School of Design. An international traveler and photographer, he focused on natural forms. Prestigious designer Pierre Cardin asked Robba to create a retail store selling elaborate and artistic flower arrangements under the “Maxim’s de Paris” label. Dubbed the“Sculptor of Flowers,” Robba founded the Emilio Robba Company, which works with individual clients, as well as architectural and interior design firms, hotel groups and international cruise lines, to create permanent floral and landscape designs. His award-winning creative and sculptural floral arrangements have become synonymous with luxury. Robba's deep knowledge of nature shows in the fine details of the bamboo bowl. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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Lady with the Lamp

Actually, currently in our trove we have two very lovely ladies with lamps. 

Of spelter, a zinc alloy that resembles bronze, patinaed in antique white, each lamp has a plaque on the front of the base. The gorgeous gal on the globe is captioned "Clair de Lune par Bruchon" (Moonlight by Bruchon), while her pretty partner is "Crépuscule par Bruchon" (Twilight by Bruchon).

Each also carries the incised signature "Bruchon" 

Émile Jean Baptiste Bruchon (1838–1909) was a French sculpture of the Belle Époque best known for his smaller bronze statues, often incorporated as decorative motives on utilitarian items such as lamps and clocks. Born in Paris, he studied under Mathurin Moreau, one of the most influential French sculptors of the 19th century, and his works were exhibited in Paris Salon. Finely detailed and often depicting graceful, fluid motion, Bruchon's works typically portray figures from mythology or literature.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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Shine Like a Diamond. . . .

Which is exactly what this fantastic faceted vase does! In fact, this stunning example of mid-century Swedish art glass is named "Diamant" after that very gemstone. 

Underneath the vase is signed "Stromberg B 950." 

The vase was designed by Asta Strömberg (1916–2011), one of Sweden's most respected glass artists, for Studioglas Strömbergshyttan. "B" stands for blomvas, Swedish for " flower vase," and "950" is the model number. 

Strömbergshyttan was founded in 1876 as "Lindefors," but was rechristened Strömbergshyttan in 1933 when the married couple, Edvard and Gerda Strömberg, took over operation of the company, and later became its owners. Gerda was already a recognized designer and Edvard, who had previously worked at the famous Kosta and Orrefors glassworks, bought with him a team of skilled glassblowers.

After Edvard’s death, the management of the glassworks was taken over by his son Erik and his daughter-in-law Asta, who became world renown as a glass designer. She is known for her substantial handblown works cut in geometric shapes with tints of color. Her "Diamant" series was one of her most popular designs and still is highly sought after by collectors of art glass and mid-century modern design. 

In 1976, the company was purchased by Orrefors in 1976.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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You'll Get a Bunch of Compliments. . .

 . . . if you install this fun and funky mid-century modern swag light of ruby red lucite balls in the form of a gorgeous group of glowing giant grapes.

The American company Dupont introduced a form of acrylic under the brand name lucite in 1931. Because of its clarity, durability, the ability to easily mold it into different shapes, and its light weight, during WWII, lucite was adapted for a wide variety of military uses, including aircraft canopies and submarine periscopes. After the war, lucite's durability and its ability to be cast in a wide variety of shapes and colors made it attractive to designers, and lucite began appearing in jewelry, handbags, and home furnishings and decor.

In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a fad for vibrantly colored fruit, especially grapes. Lucite grapes, in jewel tones never found in nature, were the perfect touch for a Pop Art era home. The grapes were  attached to wooden stems and adorned with plastic leaves. While some of these bright bunches were manufactured, many of these fun fruits were created by home crafters (some collectors say that you can distinguish the factory fruit from home crafted because the factory grapes are perfectly round, while those used in by home hobbyists have a flat area or knob where the wire connected to the grape). One story credits Mormon housewives for starting the trend, creating bunches of grapes as gifts and to earn a little extra revenue. LeeWards, a chain of craft and fabric stores, in the 1960s and 70s offered kits for making lucite grape decor alongside its macrame and hook rug crafts. This page from the company's 1969 catalog offers a kit to make "one of the more striking and unique lamps we've ever offered," a $17.95 kit that would allow the crafter to create at home a grape lamp that "would cost at least $50" in a store. Whether factory or home made, vintage lucite grapes are now highly sought after by collectors and those wanting to add a vintage pop of color to their homes.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

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